]]>Iran's weekend test firing of yet another long-range ballistic missile is amplifying congressional calls for the Trump administration to formally declare Iran in violation of the landmark nuclear agreement, a move that would lay the groundwork for the United States to abandon the agreement.

Iran claims to have successfully test fired a new long-range ballistic missile in response to threats by the Trump administration to leave the nuclear accord.

President Donald Trump criticized Iran during his first speech before the United Nations last week, singling out the Islamic Republic as one of the leading global threats. The speech prompted tough talk by senior Iranian leaders and military officials, who vowed to boost the country's capabilities.

The latest ballistic missile test has amplified congressional calls for Trump to leave the deal and has provided grist to those inside the administration pushing for the president to formally declare Iran in violation of the nuclear deal due to these tests and other actions that violate the accord.

"Iran's missile test is further proof that the Obama-Khamenei nuclear deal has only served to empower and embolden the Islamist regime," Rep. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon.

"Given Iran's belligerent conduct and its violations of the terms of the deal, President Trump should follow his instincts and decertify the JCPOA in October," DeSantis said, using the acronym for the nuclear agreement, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "We can't allow Iran to follow in the footsteps of North Korea when it comes to acquiring a nuclear capability."

DeSantis's comments jibe with public remarks from Trump and some of his most senior officials, including United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has been a vocal critic of the nuclear accord and Iran's threatening behavior.

Haley, commenting on Iranian violations of U.N. accords last week, said that U.S. is focused on holding the Islamic Republic responsible for defying these resolutions.

"What we're looking at and what you're going to hear us very vocal on is the fact that 2331, the resolution that was in place, what we saw was it basically wrapped in with the nuclear deal; it said if Iran did any of these things, it would be in violation," Haley said, adding that evidence indicates Iran has violated international resolutions multiple times.

The ballistic missile test shows that Iran had made further strides in its long-range ballistic technology and that international calls for it to refrain from such behavior have no impact on the country's actions.

Under U.N. Security Resolution 2231, which codifies the nuclear agreement, Iran is prohibited from test firing ballistic missiles, though the restriction has not altered Tehran's behavior.

The newest missile, unveiled during a Friday military parade in Tehran, is reported to be Iran's third such rocket capable of traveling nearly 1,250 miles. It weighs more than a ton and can carry "several warheads," according to reports in Iran's state-controlled media.

Trump offered a strong response to the missile test, tweeting that the missile is "capable of reaching Israel."

Iran is also "working with North Korea. Not much of an agreement we have," Trump wrote.

The tweet is being viewed as a window into Trump's thinking on the deal and whether he will formally designate Iran as in violation.

A State Department official told the Free Beacon that officials are looking into the missile launch and will seek to counter the threats posed by Iran's continued rocket tests.

"We have seen the media reports that Iran launched a ballistic missile," the official said. "We are looking into these reports."

"As we’ve said before, Iran's continued ballistic missile development and support for terrorism are provocative and undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout the region," the official added, noting that "UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231 (2015) calls upon Iran to not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons."

The administration "will continue monitor these issues closely and to use all of the tools at our disposal to counter threats from Iran’s missile program," the official said.

While the Trump administration has recertified the deal in the past months, some believe that Trump has decided not to do so again.

One veteran Middle East analyst who works closely with White House official on the Iran portfolio told the Free Beacon that Trump's tweet is a good indication of where he currently stands on the matter.

"The president's tweet reflected exactly how he feels, and everyone at every level knows it," the source said. "He thinks the deal is garbage because it's riddled with so many flaws, in this case dismantling sanctions while Iran builds ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel and Europe."

However, there have been internal tensions of the matter, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pushing for Trump to keep the agreement. The Free Beacon first reported last week that disagreements between Tillerson and Haley on the matter have been a source of tension in the State Department.

"The State Department has been fighting [Trump] at every turn because Tillerson and his Obama holdovers want to preserve the deal," the source explained. "So suddenly they've begun downplaying Iranian missile launches, because that would make it obvious how the deal isn't in America's national interest."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has vowed a fierce response if the United States decides to leave the deal, saying in a recent interview such a move would "yield no results for the United States, but at the same time, it will generally decrease international trust placed in Washington."

Iran is prepared to respond if the United States abandons the agreement.

"We have thought long and hard about our reactions," Rouhani said, noting that these reactions would come "quite swiftly" and "probably within a week."

Meanwhile, Iranian military leaders have disclosed the Islamic Republic continues to build advanced weaponry, despite international bans on some of these arms.

"Different missiles and ground combat weaponries, along with our air defense and marine combat systems, are all made in Iran and our ready-to-service experts will continue this path robustly," Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Iran's defense minister, said during the weekend.

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-defies-nuclear-deal-latest-ballistic-missile-test/feed/0Tillerson, Haley Clash Over Iran Nuclear Dealhttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/tillerson-haley-clash-iran-nuclear-deal/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/tillerson-haley-clash-iran-nuclear-deal/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 20:00:44 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=860185In a sign of the ongoing internal dissent over ending the landmark nuclear agreement with Iran, multiple sources told the Washington Free Beacon that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley have been at odds over the deal, with Trump's UN ambassador privately expressing dismay with Tillerson over his continued efforts to preserve the nuclear agreement.

]]>In a sign of the ongoing internal dissent over ending the landmark nuclear agreement with Iran, multiple sources told the Washington Free Beacon that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley have been at odds over the deal, with Trump's U.N. ambassador privately expressing dismay with Tillerson over his continued efforts to preserve the nuclear agreement.

Tillerson and Haley held a private powwow Wednesday with international leaders regarding the future of the nuclear deal, a sign of Haley's vital role in the Trump administration's key foreign policy issue.

The meeting is likely to underscore mounting tensions between Haley and Tillerson on the issue, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, who told the Free Beacon that Haley views Tillerson's efforts to preserve the deal as anathema to Trump's own policy agenda.

The division is one of several that Tillerson has sparked within the administration, particularly in the West Wing, where the secretary of state has been described as in "open war" with Trump on a series of major foreign policy issues, including Iran and the Israel-Palestinian impasse.

"The tension between Rex and Nikki is the worst kept secret in the State Department," according to one veteran foreign policy hand who has been in close contact with the State Department on the issue.

Haley "thinks that [Tillerson is] trying to undermine the president and preserve Obama's Iran legacy, which is true," explained the source, who would only discuss the sensitive matter on background. "He thinks she's running her own foreign policy and auditioning for his job, which is also true."

These tensions have "spilled into the open" several times "over the last few weeks," but were quickly dispelled in order to promote a public face of unity within the Trump administration, according to the source and others who spoke to the Free Beacon.

"It will keep happening as long as the secretary keeps working to force Trump to certify while the ambassador keeps working to promote what Trump says he wants," the source said.

Asked about the Wednesday joint meeting and report of divisions between Haley and Tillerson, a State Department official denied the divisions and said both senior administration officials are working together.

"We are not going to get ahead of any meetings and we are not going to discuss internal U.S. government discussions," a State Department official, speaking only on background, told the Free Beacon in response to questions about reported tensions. "The secretary and Ambassador Haley work in close cooperation to address the most pressing national security challenges."

Another veteran Republican foreign policy adviser who has advised multiple U.S. officials on the Iran portfolio confirmed the internal divisions between Tillerson and other senior administration officials such as Haley, telling the Free Beacon the secretary of state remains a chief voice pushing for the Iran agreement to remain in place.

"Tillerson is buying what the Europeans are selling and he's really pushing the president to recertify," said the source, who also requested anonymity to discuss internal conversations. "The Republicans on Capitol Hill don't want this to fall into their lap so they're backing Tillerson for now. Haley is doing what she can to fight for what's right, but it might not matter if [Secretary of Defense] Mattis backs up Tillerson."

"President Trump's going to be totally humiliated by the Iranians if he falls for something this stupid," the source said.

These tensions over the Iran deal have also been making waves on Capitol Hill, where opponents of the deal view Haley as one of their chief allies.

"Haley clearly understands that the status quo is unsustainable," said one senior congressional official involved in the matter. "She recognizes that the nuclear deal has been a complete disaster for the United States and our allies."

"Meanwhile, Tillerson continues to pursue his own agenda at State with little regard for the president's priorities," the official said. "It's good to see Haley stand firm as the voice of reason, and urge Tillerson and other Iran sympathizers to end their rogue behavior."

Haley and Tillerson are expected to raise the issue of renegotiating the Iran deal with international allies, a proposal that is not likely to gain much traction.

The Europeans have already reengaged in business with Iran and view attempts to re-litigate the accord as damaging to their financial interests.

Richard Goldberg, a longtime foreign policy strategist who was one of the chief architects of Iran sanctions during his time as a senior congressional adviser, told the Free Beacon the Europeans cannot be trusted to crack down on Iran's increasingly belligerent activities, such as ballistic missile tests.

"The president would be foolish to recertify Iran on Europe's empty promise of "fixing" the deal," said Goldberg, the author of a recent memo outlining for the Trump administration how it can remove the U.S. from the nuclear deal. "Unless European leaders credibly believe President Trump might reimpose sanctions at any moment, they will say nice things in meetings and do absolutely nothing to ‘fix' a fundamentally bad deal they already accepted."

Given this scenario, Trump's best move it to designate Iran as in violation of the deal in the coming weeks, Goldberg said, explaining that European government's would have no choice but to comply with any new U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

"The president has no other option than to decertify and hold the re-imposition of sanctions over both Europe and Iran as a financial Sword of Damocles until we see behavioral change by the regime," he said.

European promises to help crack down on Iran are being viewed as hollow in light of an upcoming international gathering next month between the European Union and Iran that is aimed at boosting commercial trade.

"Secretary Tillerson and Ambassador Haley are both very engaged in internal policy making on Iran, along with the rest of the national security team," said a spokesperson for the U.S. mission. " They are united in support of the President’s goal of reversing Iran’s reckless conduct. Reporting about internal discussions based on anonymous sources is uninformed and irresponsible."

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/tillerson-haley-clash-iran-nuclear-deal/feed/0Iran Lashes Out at ‘Cowboy’ Trump After U.N. Speechhttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-lashes-cowboy-trump-u-n-speech/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-lashes-cowboy-trump-u-n-speech/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 16:10:32 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=859879Senior Iranian leaders verbally attacked President Donald Trump late Tuesday and early Wednesday following his first United Nations address, in which the U.S. president harshly criticized Iran for its support of global terror operations, according to regional reports.

]]>Senior Iranian leaders verbally attacked President Donald Trump late Tuesday and early Wednesday following his first United Nations address, in which the U.S. president harshly criticized Iran for its support of global terror operations, according to regional reports.

Iranian political and military leaders, including the country's president, mocked Trump for his criticism of the Islamic Republic and threatened military repercussions if the United States decides to leave the landmark nuclear agreement, which Trump hinted could be a possibility on Wednesday.

In brief remarks to reporters following a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Trump said, "I have decided" on whether to designate Iran in violation of the nuclear deal, a move that would set the wheels in motion for the United States to leave the agreement and reimpose tough sanctions on Tehran.

When pressed on the issue, Trump smiled and said, "I'll let you know what the decision is."

Iranian leaders have vowed a harsh response should the United States move to leave the deal, and have hinted at more aggressive military moves against American interests in the region. Iran will seek to boost its military capabilities and directly confront the United States, according to these Iranian military and political leaders.

"We won't chicken out for cowboy-like acts of Trump," Brig. Gen. Seyyed Massoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, was quoted as saying on Tuesday in reaction to Trump's U.N. speech, which singled out Iran and its nuclear program as a chief global threat.

Trump's "remarks recount how the weak and incapable government of the U.S. has fallen in melancholy after keeping the dream of being the world's superpower," Jazayeri was quoted as saying in Iran's state-controlled media.

Trump's remarks have spurred Iran to further increase its military capabilities, according to Jazayeri.

"For facing a country whose president overtly and blatantly shouts at the lectern of the U.N. that it would ‘totally destroy' with its military power, no option is left but to strengthen the defensive infrastructures," he said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani offered similar remarks, telling reporters that Iran would "be victorious" in any outcome, even if Trump moves to end the nuclear agreement.

"Iran will be victorious, regardless of what happens" with the nuclear deal, Rouhani said. "If the U.S. backs out of the deal, they will suffer loss and if they remain committed, they will sow benefits. We are ready for any situation and there is no obstacle to our advance toward our objectives."

Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, said that Iran is already moving to enhance its military capabilities and face down the United States.

"Time is now ripe for correcting the U.S. miscalculations," Jafari was quoted as saying after Trump's speech. "Now that the U.S. has fully displayed its nature, the government should use all its options to defend the Iranian nation's interests."

"Taking a decisive position against Trump is just the start and what is strategically important is that the U.S. should witness more painful responses in the actions, behavior, and decisions that Iran will take in the next few months," he said.

Other senior Iranian leaders, such as Rouhani's deputy chief of staff, took to Twitter to express anger at Trump and mock his remarks.

"A person who takes the presidential office with deception and undemocratic behavior, will be unable to differentiate between delivering speech in the United Nations from the rough American football." Hamid Aboutalebi, a senior Rohani aide tweeted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, the main official who helped cement the nuclear agreement, described Trump's remarks as "ignorant hate speech" on his Twitter feed.

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-lashes-cowboy-trump-u-n-speech/feed/0Al Qaeda: Trump ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’http://freebeacon.com/national-security/al-qaeda-trump-wanted-dead-alive/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/al-qaeda-trump-wanted-dead-alive/#respondTue, 19 Sep 2017 20:11:54 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=859384An al Qaeda-backed media group has issued a "wanted poster" for President Donald Trump that features a picture of the U.S. president with the words, "Wanted dead or alive for crimes against Islam," according to a copy of the poster and accompanying screed published by a Middle East media watchdog group.

]]>An al Qaeda-backed media group has issued a "wanted poster" for President Donald Trump that features a picture of the U.S. president with the words, "Wanted dead or alive for crimes against Islam," according to a copy of the poster and accompanying screed published by a Middle East media watchdog group.

Al-Hijrah Media, a pro al Qaeda group, released a statement earlier this week seeking the death of Trump for the United States' involvement in Afghanistan, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI.

In addition to the wanted poster, the group released a statement lashing out at America for its continued presence in Afghanistan.

The "message to Trump and the Americans" claims that the United States is "weaker today than ever" and that it continues to fail in its efforts to defeat jihadi groups in Afghanistan.

"The U.S. was unable to defeat the Mujahideen when it had more than 100,000 troops in Afghanistan," the message states.

"Trump is talking about winning in Afghanistan," it continues. "And Americans what do you think?? Do you have no insight? Do you not know history?"

"Thousands of U.S. soldiers were injured and killed by the Mujahideen. Even, Obama had admitted before his retirement that America was unable to defeat the Mujahideen in Afghanistan," the message reads.

"America has no advantage to continue the war in Afghanistan," it continues. "It is clear that Trump is waging this war only for his hatred against the Muslims."

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/al-qaeda-trump-wanted-dead-alive/feed/0Trump Will Rally World to Confront Iran, N. Korea in First UN Addresshttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/trump-will-rally-world-confront-iran-n-korea-first-un-address/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/trump-will-rally-world-confront-iran-n-korea-first-un-address/#respondTue, 19 Sep 2017 01:00:25 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=858112President Donald Trump "will speak in incredibly tough terms" about the growing threats posed by Iran and North Korea in his first major address before the United Nations Tuesday, according to senior administration officials who said the president will seek to rally the world to more actively confront these two nuclear-aspiring regimes.

]]>President Donald Trump "will speak in incredibly tough terms" about the growing threats posed by Iran and North Korea in his first major address before the United Nations Tuesday, according to senior administration officials, who said the president will seek to rally the world to more actively confront these two nuclear-aspiring regimes.

The threat posed by Iran and North Korea to the United States and "world stability" will undergird Trump's remarks before the U.N. General Assembly, where the president will seek to outline his vision to enhance global security and America's interests, according to senior administration officials who previewed Trump's remarks during a briefing with reporters on Monday.

"One of the chief regimes that will be singled out" by Trump is "the regime of North Korea," as well as, "of course, the regime in Iran," according to a senior administration official with direct knowledge of Trump's speech.

"In those two cases," Trump will deliver "an appeal to other nations to do their part in confronting these threats," according to the official, who explained that Trump will warn the global community they "cannot be bystanders to history."

The focus on Iran and North Korea comes as both regimes continue their march toward nuclear weapons and other advanced military weapons.

While North Korea has topped the national security agenda due to its repeated nuclear tests, the inclusion of Iran in this rogue axis is certain to generate discussion among the international community, which remains heavily divided on the best way to confront Iran while upholding the Obama administration's landmark nuclear deal.

With Congress and others heavily pressing the White House to formally designate Iran in violation of the nuclear deal, it remains unclear how the administration will respond.

Asked Monday afternoon about the issue prior to a one-on-one meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump told reporters, "You'll see very soon. You'll be seeing very soon."

Trump will seek to isolate the Iranian regime in his remarks before the U.N. while highlighting the need to court the Iranian populace, which is often in conflict with hardline leadership.

"One of the strategic implications of the speech is to point out that one of the greatest threats to the endurance of the status quo in Iran is the Iranian people themselves," according to the senior administration official.

Trump is expected to highlight divisions between the Iranian people and their government, a move that could generate a fierce response from Tehran, which consistently imprisons, beats, and tortures dissident groups.

"There's a lot of strategic thought in the speech in how to separate out the government from the people of Iran," according to the administration official.

However, North Korea will remain a centerpiece of Trump's efforts to galvanize the global community to play a more proactive role in security issues.

"The North Korean menace is one of the biggest issues that the world community faces in terms of the threats that are out there at this moment in history," according to the senior administration official, who said that Trump will not mince words when discussing the threat posed by Pyongyang.

"That will be a major focus of the president's speech and he will speak in incredibly tough terms about the North Korean menace and the threat it poses to our security and all the nations in the room," said the official, who noted that Trump will publicly call out those who have enabled the regime.

Senior West Wing officials said the speech has been a major focus for Trump, who has written and re-written his remarks several times thus far.

"There's no question that it's a huge event," according to the senior administration official, who said Trump has been "honing and crafting" his remarks.

Trump is said to view the speech as an opportunity to set forth his vision for America's role in the world and how U.S. values will play a role.

The speech will mark "the president's vision and declaration to the world about how America fits into the world, how it operates, and what its values are," the senior administration official said. "It's a deeply philosophical address."

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/trump-will-rally-world-confront-iran-n-korea-first-un-address/feed/0Iran Threatens to Drop ‘Father of All Bombs’http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-threatens-drop-father-bombs/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-threatens-drop-father-bombs/#respondMon, 18 Sep 2017 16:55:06 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=858007A senior Iranian military leader claims the Islamic Republic has developed the "father of all bombs," a 10-ton bomb that is said to rival the United States' 'mother of all bombs," or MOAB, according to regional reports.

]]>A senior Iranian military leader claims the Islamic Republic has developed the "father of all bombs," a 10-ton bomb that is said to rival the United States' ‘mother of all bombs," or MOAB, according to regional reports.

Iranian General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp's airspace division, claimed in an interview over the weekend with the country's state-controlled media that Iran has developed the 10-ton bomb and has the capability to drop them from aircraft.

The announcement coincides with other saber-rattling comments by senior Iranian military officials claiming that they have infiltrated the American military.

"These bombs are at our disposal, can be launched from aircraft, and they are highly destructive," Hajizadeh was quoted as telling Iran's state controlled Fars News Agency.

Hajizadeh described the weapon as the "father of all bombs," a clear reference to America's recent use of the MOAB, of Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, which is capable of delivering an 11-ton blast.

The comments come amid a tense standoff between the Trump administration and Iran over the landmark nuclear deal. U.S. officials have been pushing Trump to formally declare Iran in violation of the agreement, a move Iran has fiercely warned against.

The conflict over the nuclear agreement has led Iran to issue a range of threats and move forward on its construction of ballistic missiles, which could be used to carry a nuclear warhead.

Hajizadeh also claims that Iran has infiltrated the U.S. military and has sensitive documents in its possession.

"We have infiltrated into the Americans' command control centers over the recent years," he was quoted as saying in a television interview broadcast on PressTV, another Iranian-controlled outlet.

"We have been present there," Hajizadeh continues, referring to U.S. command centers in Iraq and Syria. "We saw what locations they were observing and targeting."

The Islamic Republic is gearing up to launch at least three new satellites as part of its contested space program, which is believed to provide cover to an advanced long-range ballistic missile program.

]]>http://freebeacon.com/culture/keith-ellison-flack-mocks-jewish-reporter-anti-semitic-caricature/feed/0U.S., Israel Reject Claims Relationship Strained, Deny Closed Door Shouting Matchhttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-israel-reject-claims-relationship-strained-deny-closed-door-shouting-match/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-israel-reject-claims-relationship-strained-deny-closed-door-shouting-match/#respondThu, 14 Sep 2017 17:45:48 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=855769Senior U.S. and Israeli officials deny the relationship between the two countries has been strained over differences in how to deal with the threat of Hezbollah, according to multiple senior government officials from both countries who told the Washington Free Beacon that recent reports of a yelling match between senior Trump administration and Israeli government officials are false.

]]>Senior U.S. and Israeli officials deny the relationship between the two countries has been strained over differences in how to deal with the threat of Hezbollah, according to multiple senior government officials from both countries who told the Washington Free Beacon that recent reports of a yelling match between senior Trump administration and Israeli government officials are false.

Recentmedia reports allege the Trump administration and Israel have been in conflict over the best way to deal with the threat posed by Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terror organization that has played a major role in bolstering embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Tensions are said to have come to a head during a high-level August meeting between the countries in which White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is alleged to have yelled at his Israeli counterparts and dismissed concerns about Hezbollah being a terror organization—a charge that multiple senior U.S. and Israeli officials denied in conversations with the Free Beacon.

Further allegations that the Israeli delegation asked White House National Security Council staffer Mustafa Javed Ali to leave the room over concerns that he does not view Hezbollah as a terror organization also are being called untrue, according to both U.S. and Israeli officials who were present in the Aug. 17 meeting.

A copy of the official list of U.S. and Israeli officials participating in the high-level meeting shows that Ali was never scheduled to attend, according to a copy of that list viewed by the Free Beacon.

The situation is being portrayed in the U.S. and Israeli media as further proof of tension between McMaster's NSC and their Israeli counterparts.

The issue of Hezbollah's rise in the region—and the direct threat this poses to Israel as Iranian-backed forces gather closer to its borders—has been a mainstay of ongoing dialogue between the United States and Israel, with multiple senior Trump administration sources telling the Free Beacon that McMaster's NSC fully agrees with Israel's concerns and supports Hezbollah's designation as a global terrorist organization.

Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House NSC, denied that McMaster ever yelled at his Israeli counterparts and described multiple media reports claiming otherwise as flatly untrue.

Anton further disclosed to the Free Beacon that, as part of a renewed push to counter Hezbollah's influence in the region, McMaster "has directed the NSC staff to look at ways the U.S. can be more aggressive in its posture towards Hezbollah."

The effort to counter Hezbollah, which is supported by the Israelis, is "a major element of our Iran strategy," according to Anton, who described this policy as directed at ensuring that Iran and it's terror proxies do not retain a permanent foothold in Syria, where they would "endanger Israel's borders."

Anton further knocked down allegations that NSC aide Ali was asked to leave the meeting by the Israelis, telling the Free Beacon that he was never scheduled to participate in the discussions and was not present at any point.

Senior Israeli officials independently confirmed to the Free Beacon that recent media reports about the tension are false.

"Israel never asked for Mustafa Ali to not attend a meeting on Hezbollah, Syria, or any other matter," Itai Bardov, spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, told the Free Beacon. "Israel is not aware of any Trump administration official that does not consider Hezbollah a terror organization, and Gen. McMaster never yelled at Israeli officials."

"The allegations in the article relating to Israel are totally false," Bardov said, adding, "Israel appreciates Gen. McMaster efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Trump administration to counter the threats posed by Iran and its terror proxy Hezbollah."

A copy of the internal White House list of those participating in the meeting confirms comments from the senior U.S. and Israeli officials.

On the Israeli side, participants included Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, Mossad Director Yosef Cohen, Israeli Defense Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Acting Israeli National Security Adviser Eytan Ben-David, Israeli Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the United States Maj. Gen. Michael Edelstein, and other Israeli embassy personnel, according to the list viewed by the Free Beacon.

In a high-level meeting such as this, it would be atypical for an official such as Ali to participate.

One senior Trump administration official who participated in the meeting further disclosed to the Free Beacon that the United States added one more official at the last moment: Sigal Mandelker, the undersecretary of treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.

The addition was meant to let the Israeli delegation know the Trump administration is serious about tackling Hezbollah, and the inclusion of Mandelker signaled the Trump administration is using all avenues to target the terror group, including sanctions, according to senior administration sources.

"Kind of a funny person to add if you're going to argue Hezbollah isn't a terrorist group," said one senior NSC official. "The Israelis were delighted to see her because her presence demonstrated Gen. McMaster's key point—Hezbollah is of course a terrorist organization but the problem is compounded because they have grown into so much more—so straight [counter-terrorism] isn't going to work against them."

Bossert's inclusion in the meeting was meant to signal that counter-terrorism remains a priority, but McMaster and other NSC officials believe "we also need all the other tools we have at our disposal," according to the senior administration official.

"So it's not that he [McMaster] disputes they are terrorists, and it's not that he disputes the fact that they are a terrible threat—both to Israel and to us. He was simply pointing out the full scope of that threat," the official explained, noting that given the nature of the subject matter, the discussions were "certainly intense," but it was "a meeting of close friends and allies."

Senior Trump administration sources further took exception to portrayals in the media that NSC official Ali is an enemy of Israel and that he remains sympathetic to Hezbollah.

Ali has been accused in the past of attempting to block human rights advocate Ayaan Hirsi Ali from attending a meeting at the White House—a charge U.S. officials familiar with the matter flatly denied.

Hirsi Ali, in fact, did meet with NSC staff at the White House.

Other rumors claiming that NSC official Ali once worked for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, a Muslim advocacy group hostile to Israel, also are untrue, according to senior NSC sources, who told the Free Beacon that Ali has flatly denied the charges in conversations with U.S. officials.

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-israel-reject-claims-relationship-strained-deny-closed-door-shouting-match/feed/0Tillerson State Dept. Demanding Israel Hand Back Millions in U.S. Military Aidhttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/tillerson-state-dept-demanding-israel-hand-back-millions-u-s-military-aid/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/tillerson-state-dept-demanding-israel-hand-back-millions-u-s-military-aid/#respondMon, 11 Sep 2017 18:40:19 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=852691Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been pushing the Trump White House to demand that Israel give back to the United States millions of dollars in military aid, prompting pushback in the West Wing and further fueling ongoing tensions between Foggy Bottom and the White House over a range of key diplomatic issues, according to multiple sources briefed on the situation.

]]>Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been pushing the Trump White House to demand that Israel give back to the United States millions of dollars in military aid, prompting pushback in the West Wing and further fueling ongoing tensions between Foggy Bottom and the White House over a range of key diplomatic issues, according to multiple sources briefed on the situation.

The Washington Free Beacon first reported on Friday that the State Department has been lobbying the White House to call for Israel to hand back some $75 million in U.S. military aid that was awarded to the Jewish state above the Obama administration's financial request in 2016.

The former administration came under fire from congressional leaders and the pro-Israel community for conditioning U.S. military aid—a cornerstone of the U.S.-Israel alliance—on a provision that bars Israel from lobbying Congress for increased aid as a range of conflicts in the Middle East develop.

While Congress initially rebelled against this provision, and held up the Obama-era aid package in revolt, Tillerson is said to be lobbying for Israel to give back the additional aid to keep the country in line with the Obama administration's 2016 agreement, known as the Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU.

Multiple sources who spoke to the Free Beacon said Tillerson's chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin, personally called White House National Security Council official Dina Powell to relay Tillerson's position, which is said to have conflicted with the advice of career State Department officials who work on the Israel portfolio.

Tillerson spokesperson R.C. Hammond categorically denied these calls took place in a subsequent conversation with the Free Beacon.

Powell is said to have balked at the request and told Peterlin that any such move would have to be cleared with President Donald Trump, these sources told the Free Beacon.

Tillerson has been hoping to lobby in favor of calling on Israel to return the aid money during a meeting at the White House, according to these sources.

Knowledge of this discussion, initially disclosed by the Free Beacon, roiled pro-Israel congressional leaders and sparked Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) to contact the White House to register his opposition.

Cotton "strongly warned the State Department" last week "that such action would be unwise and would invite unwanted conflict with Israel," according to one senior congressional aide familiar with the situation.

It is unclear exactly where the issue stands presently, as the White House NSC and State Department declined to comment on the situation when approached by the Free Beacon.

The matter has fueled tensions between the White House and State Department, which have found themselves at odds on a range of key issues, including the U.S.-Israel alliance, the Iran portfolio, and other matters. Sources who spoke to the Free Beacon about the standoff have described Foggy Bottom as being in "open war" with the West Wing.

One veteran official with a major pro-Israel organization who has been working on the issue told the Free Beacon that Tillerson appears to adopting opposite policies of those endorsed by Trump.

"There are always debates inside the State Department over things like Israel, Iran, and the Gulf," the source said, speaking only on background about the sensitive matter. "There are always multiple overlapping camps of career staffers, professional lawyers, and political appointees. But no matter what the topic, you can count on Tillerson, his chief of staff, and his senior Obama holdovers to take the opposite side of whatever the president wants."

"It doesn't matter if it's Iran certification, or the Qatar crisis, or Israel—they always choose the competing recommendation that's against the president," the source said.

It appears that on the Israel aid issue, Tillerson deferred to the opinions of State Department lawyers, who say Israel should hand back the $75 million in order to keep it in line with the Obama-era MOU.

This position was chosen over the advice of longtime State Department officials working on the Israel portfolio, according to multiple sources who pointed to the Free Beacon‘s initial Friday report about the situation as sparking an internal war between these factions.

While some initially believed the call for Israel to hand back the aid originated with these career staffers, it is actually Tillerson and his staff who are pushing for Israel to hand back the aid.

"In this case they used career lawyers to shut down State's Middle East team, which knew the money was a nothing burger," said the pro-Israel official. "But when they called up the White House to make the recommendation, Dina [Powell] immediately said it would have to go to the president."

Powell and others are said to have viewed the situation "as an attempt by Tillerson to sneak through policies that are not what President Trump believes," according to the source, who echoed information provided by administration insiders and others. "And that's before we even get to the communications team at the top of the State Department, which is a clusterfuck of such monumental size and shape it can be seen from space."

As the story was developing late Friday, the State Department declined to explain to lawmakers and reporters the context of the internal divisions between the advice of career officials and lawyers.

A State Department official, speaking only on background, told the Free Beacon that "Israel is a valued ally" and that the administration "is committed to ensuring that Israel receives the assistance that has been appropriated by Congress."

However, the official could not comment on internal deliberations and conversations that may have taken place surrounding the issue.

Hammond denied any such conversations took place, disputing the multiple sources who independently described them to the Free Beacon.

"No demands regarding any aid to Israel have been made. Israel will receive every dollar," Hammond told the Free Beacon. "The conversations are figments of somebody's imagination. The fiction was never considered and phone calls were never made. Israel will receive every dollar Congress has appropriated."

An NSC spokesman also declined to comment on the matter, telling the Free Beacon, "We are not going to comment on internal United States government discussions."

Update 4:31 p.m.: This post has been updated with further information and reporting.

]]>http://freebeacon.com/national-security/tillerson-state-dept-demanding-israel-hand-back-millions-u-s-military-aid/feed/0State Dept. Forces Stranded U.S. Citizens to Foot the Bill for Hurricane Rescuehttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/state-dept-forces-stranded-u-s-citizens-foot-bill-hurricane-rescue/
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/state-dept-forces-stranded-u-s-citizens-foot-bill-hurricane-rescue/#respondMon, 11 Sep 2017 17:04:54 +0000http://freebeacon.com/?p=852544The State Department requires that all U.S. citizens in need of rescue from hurricane-struck areas first sign a promissory note requiring them to pay back the U.S. government all costs associated with their rescue, such as airfare, according to a copy of that form obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

]]>The State Department requires that all U.S. citizens in need of rescue from hurricane-struck areas first sign a promissory note requiring them to pay back the U.S. government all costs associated with their rescue, such as airfare, according to a copy of that form obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

Some U.S. citizens seeking evacuation from islands hit by Hurricane Irma expressed surprise when they were presented with the form, ensuring that all costs associated with the rescue all fully paid back to the U.S. government.

"I promise to repay the U.S. government in U.S. dollars or the foreign currency equivalent within 30 days of initial billing, and if not repaid within 60 days of initial billing at an interest rate established in accordance with Federal law for all applicable expenses for my/our evacuation," the agreement states, according to a copy obtained by the Free Beacon.

If the loan is not repaid in full, those listed on the forms can face penalties, such as a limitedly valid U.S. passport, according to the form.

The loan also is subject to "interest, penalties, and other charges for late payment," according to the form.

This is not a new policy. The State Department has required such promissory notes be signed in these situations since 1956, according to U.S. officials familiar with the policy. There are only limited situations in which this form is waived.

The State Department is not permitted to spend government funds on these types of evacuations, which necessitates that U.S. citizens seeking State Department help in their evacuation from disaster-struck areas sign the form before getting on a flight.

The State Department offers evacuation to stranded U.S. citizens before a hurricane hits land and after a hurricane hits land. These flights are chartered to evacuate U.S. government personnel and extra seats are handed to citizens in need of rescue.

The State Department has aided in the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from St. Martin since Friday, according to information available as of Monday morning. That number could grow.